William Walton Griest (September 22, 1858 – December 5, 1929) was a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.
Biography
William W. Griest was born in
Christiana, Pennsylvania
Christiana is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,100 at the 2020 census. In 1851. it was the site of the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania#Slavery and the Christiana incident, Batt ...
. He graduated from the
Millersville State Normal School
Millersville University of Pennsylvania (commonly known as Millersville University, The Ville, or MU) is a public university in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It is one of the fourteen schools that comprise the Pennsylvania State System of Higher E ...
in 1876. He was engaged in teaching, and was a member of the city school board of
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...
, for twenty-four years. He was the director and an incorporator of the Pennsylvania Public School Memorial Association. From 1882 to 1888, he was engaged in newspaper work as editor of the ''Inquirer'', Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He served as chief clerk in the county commissioner's office. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Tax Commission, and a delegate to several Republican State conventions and to every
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...
from
1896 to
1928
Events January
* January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA.
* January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...
. He was the
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (or "secretary of state") administers the Pennsylvania Department of State of the U.S. state (officially, " commonwealth") of Pennsylvania. The secretary is appointed by the governor subject to co ...
from 1899 to 1903. He served as a member of the State sinking fund commission and of the board of pardons. He also served as president of lighting and street railway companies from 1903 to 1927.
Griest was elected as a Republican to the
Sixty-first and to the ten succeeding Congresses and served until his death at
Mount Clemens, Michigan
Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 16,314 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat, seat of government of Macomb County, Michigan, Macomb County.
History
Mount Clemens was first s ...
. He served as chairman of the United States House Committee on Post Office and Post Roads during the
Sixty-eighth through the
Seventieth Congresses. He was laid to rest at
Woodward Hill Cemetery
Woodward Hill Cemetery is a 32-acre historic rural or garden cemetery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The cemetery's creation was initiated by the Trinity Lutheran Church of Lancaster in October 1849. Land was subsequently purchased by the church, a ...
in Lancaster.
The
W. W. Griest Building in downtown
Lancaster is named in his honor.
See also
*
Sources
*
The Political Graveyard*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griest, William W.
Politicians from Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Schoolteachers from Pennsylvania
1858 births
1929 deaths
Secretaries of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Millersville University of Pennsylvania alumni
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Journalists from Pennsylvania
19th-century American newspaper editors
19th-century American politicians
20th-century American politicians
Burials at Woodward Hill Cemetery